Connecter



L. O. PARKER April 7, 1936.

CONNECTER Original Filed May 28, 1930 Reissued Apr. 7, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFlcE CONNECTER Leslie 0. Parker, Anderson, Ind.,assignor,l by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Dela- Ware 3 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connecter units for theftprotective and other devices of automotive vehicles, and it is one ofthe objects of this invention to provide an electrical connecter thatWill operate to maintain an electrical connection with an armoredterminal of a piece of electrical apparatus.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a yielding contactmember of a terminal connecter whereby electrical connection will becompleted and maintained throughout all stages of connecter engagement.

A further object of this invention is to improve contact elements inconnecter units.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view, partly in plan and partly in longitudinal section,illustrating the use of my improvement as applied to a self lockingconnection with a piece of electrical apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section illustratlng the parts inposition of rest or non-connecting engagement, the view beingsubstantially that indicated by the line and arrows 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the connecter unit embodying my inventionsubstantially as indicated by the arrow 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but illustratingthe parts in cooperative relation with respect to the electricalapparatus with which it is connected.

With particular reference to the drawing, 2|) refers to a cup of a pieceof electrical apparatus, as a timer to which a control unit 50 has aself locking connection and electrical engagement, as illustratedparticularly in Figs. 1 and 4. The electrical apparatus 20 may be anypreferred element of structure having a terminal stud 2| enclosed in anarmored sleeve 22, and insulated from both the cup and sleeve by reasonoi' the dielectric members 23 and 24. The terminal 2| ls in electricalengagement with a circuit breaker lever 25 within the cup 20 through theagency of locking and connecting means 26 and 21 respectively.

The circuit breaker mechanism 25 is o1' the conventional form used inignition equipment, and includes a breaker plate 28 secured to the cup2li at 29. A contact bracket 30 is carried by the plate and has acontact 3| for engagement with contact 32 supported by circuit breakerlever 25. The circuit breaker lever 25 is in insulated relation withrespect to the bracket 30 through the agency of a dielectric bushing 33about a pivot 34, and is in electrical communication with the terminalstud 2|, through the agency of the conductor 21 which operates also as acircuit breaker spring urging the same into following engagement with atimer cam 35 at the axis of the timer cup 20.

'I'he terminal stud 2| being insulated with respect to the housing 20thereby provides an exterior terminal of the circuit breaker mechanism,and is adapted to make electrical and mechanical engagement with anarmored conductor or controller 50 hereinbefore referred to. For thispurpose the stud 2| terminates in a conical contact head 40 with areduced neck 4|, and is insulated relative to the enclosing shell 22with which it is surrounded, by an insulated washer 42 as illustrated inFigs. l and 4. Also connected with the stud 2| is a terminal 43 attachedto a lead 44 of a condenser 45 mechanically and electrically connectedwith the housing 20 by a clip 46.

The connecter unit 50 hereinbefore referred to includes an armored cablesecured at one end within a protective shell 52 that has matingengagement with the protective shell 22 earlier described. Within thearmored cable 5| a flexible metallic loom 53 enclosing an insulatedconductor 54, and a stress wire 55 is secured so as to provideadditionalr protection against unauthorized access to the enclosedconductor and manipulation of the parts thereby protected. Within theprotective shell 52 and disposed against one end of the al'rnor 5| is adielectric sleeve 56 that is of stepped bore, forming the axiallyaligned passages 51, 58 and 59. The enlarged portion 58 will bedesignated as a contact chamber.

The conductor 54 terminates within the contact chamber 58 in a bared end60 to which is secureda contact cup 6| as by soldering at 62. The cup 6|has its rim flared outwardly to provide a ange 63 of substantially thesame diameter as the contact chamber 58, yet suiiliciently smaller so asto allow the same to move freely axially of the central bore of thesleeve 56. This construction ,provides an annular recess, so to speak,about the end of the conductor and contact cup 6| within the chamber 58,and within this annular recess is disposed a contact urging spring 64that is disposed against the bottom of the bore 58 and against theilange 63 of the cup.

'I'he spring normally tends to urge the cup and its attached conductor54 along the axis of the sleeve 56 toward the enlarged opening 59 asillustrated in Fig..2.

Within the largest of the bores of thesleeve 56, that is within the bore59, there is disposed a spring locking device comprising the lockingWasher 10 and its backing washer 1| as clearly illustrated in thedrawing. For retaining the locking device within the sleeve there isprovided a dielectric washer 12 disposed against the end of the sleeve56 within the end of the shell 52 and the washer 12 is retained thereinby a spanner nut 13 threaded within the end of the shell 52.

Fig. 2 illustrates the position of the parts before the coupling unit isattached to the electrical apparatus, and here it will be seen that thecontact cup 6| is urged to the right hand end of the chamber 5B by thespring 64, and that the locking device is in its original form. Heretoo, is illustrated in dotted lines the contact head 40 of the terminalstud 4I, presented ready for mating engagement with the locking deviceand with the contact cup.

It is obvious that when the coupling unit is presented within the shell22 and caused to mate therewith so that the contact head l0 is receivedby and locked with the spring lock washer 10, that the union of partswill be that illustrated in Fig.

4, wherein the contact head l0 has passedy through the locking device sothat the locking tongues thereof will have sprung into engagement withthe neckv 4I, and so that the contact head will have engaged the cup 5Iand forced it to the left hand end of the contact chamber 58 asillustrated. A secure mechanical and electrical connection is therebymade between the electrical devicel and the coupling unit, whereby thecoupling unit is restrained `irom withdrawal from the electricalapparatus by reason of the locking device engaging the neck 4I of theinsulated terminal stud, and whereby the contact cup 6I, and hence theinsulated conductor 54, are maintained in electrical engagement with thecontact head 40 throughout all conditions of the locking engagement ofthe coupling unit with the electrical apparatus, by reason of the spring64 being under compression and urging the cup` 6I into rm engagementwith the headlll.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

` ing a groove with shoulders, and inserted through rshoulders of thegroove of said terminal stud to What is claimed is as follows:

1. A circuit connecter, comprising in combination; a terminal memberhaving a socket and supporting a conductor Wire, said socket having amovable cup-shaped contact connected to said conductor wire therein; alock washer having integral inwardly pointing resilient tongues andmounted within said socket; a terminal stud havsaid washer andcontacting with said cup to form electrical contact with said conductorwire, the resilient tongues of said washer engaging the and engagingsaid cup-member to form an elec-A trical connection with said conductorwire, the coiled spring urging the cup against the stud and theresilient tongues of said washer engaging the shoulders of the groove ofthe stud to prevent withdrawal of said stud from the socket.

3. A self-locking electrical connecter comprising, in combination, aspring metal washer fixedly supported at its edge and 'having an openingso shaped as to provide resilient tongues projecting into a centralaperture, a non-conducting sleeve `for receiving a conductor, means fordetachably and rigidly securing the peripheral portion of the washeragainst an end of the sleeve, a terminal member having a head portionadapted to be received by the washer and shaped so as to cause thetongues to be ilexed suiiiciently to permit the head portion to passbetween them, said terminal member having a neck portion of reduceddiameter for receiving the tongues after having cleared the headportion, a shoulder portion provided by the head for engaging thetongues to prevent separation of the terminal member from the washer,and a means within the sleeve comprising a spring pressed cup forelectrically connecting the conductor with the terminal member.

LESLIE O. PARKER.

